Patoka Lake and Patoka River Info and Pictures

March 27, 2014 by Elizabeth Melton Parsons 28 Comments

Eric and I went mooching around at Patoka Lake and river last Friday and snapped some pictures. Thought I’d share the experience with you. Patoka is an Indian word meaning “log on the bottom”.

Patoka Lake:  At 8,800 acres is the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. state of Indiana, it spreads across Dubois, Crawford, and Orange counties in southern Indiana. It was created as a joint effort by The Army Corp of Engineers and Indiana Department of Natural Resources. It was created by going 118 miles above the mouth of Patoka River and building a 145 feet rockfill, earthen dam.  As well as Patoka River, the lake is also fed by several smaller creeks. The Lake has several parks and nature preserves  totaling 16,920 acres. The lake provides habitat for freshwater jellyfish and bald eagle nesting sites. River otters and osprey were reintroduced at Patoka by the DNR. The property was home to the DNR’s resident, non-releasable bald eagle, C52. This raptor lived at Patoka Lake from 1988 until he died in 2009, at age 21. I never got to meet this fellow because he wasn’t available for viewing the two times I was there. 😦 I did, however, almost run off the road once when one swooped low in front of my windshield.

Patoka River is 167 miles long and is a tributary of the Wabash River. The Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area established in 1994, is a collection of wildlife refuges and habitats situated along the Patoka River in Gibson and Pike Counties in Southwestern Indiana. We also visited Jasper City Mill which is situated on Patoka River. They have a lovely park and whenever in the area, I like to walk there.

Patoka Lake

Patoka Lake

Bald Eagle

Patoka lake

Patoka Lake

Patoka River walk bridge

Jasper City Mill

Jasper City Mill

Patoka River

Patoka River

Bald Eagle image from: Wikipedia